Here & Now
by GrungeGiRL
Summary: Jack discovers a time machine, taking the boys to the present time ie, right now. What does it store for them? Includes a rapping Piggy, TV star Ralph and many male couples. Chapter Six Up!
1. Prologue

**Here & Now**

**By GrungeGiRL**

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own any of the characters from Lord Of The Flies, they belong to William Golding. And sometimes I wonder how he'd deal with them if they were real.

**Summary: **While the boys are on the island, they discover a time machine which takes them to the present. What does it have in store for them? Read on ...

**Prologue**

''You gimme the conch!''

''No, I'm allowed to speak!''

''Shut up, you fat pig!''

''At least my rules are more civilised than you and your stupid hunting!''

Ralph sighed, as he sat down on the gritty surface underneath. Jack and Piggy were fighting over the conch. Again. And really, he didn't understand why - this was _his _assembly he called, this was _his _conch and plus, he _was_ The Chief. He had been voted, as the others saw Ralph as a figure of authority in a distinctive way, with his fair-haired good looks and his use of the shell. But now it seemed that it was always Jack or Piggy who felt they needed to speak.

And what they had to say wasn't as important as his words. Jack would brag about how he was _such_ a good hunter and if there _is_ a beast we'll kill him because we can do anything, can't we? As for Piggy, it would be about how we should all relax and stop acting like kids or savages! It had been going on for weeks now, and Ralph was getting rather sick of it. He wished something _new_ could be heard ...

''You're acting like a child!''

''Sod off, you daft lummox! You can't even blow the conch!''

''My asthma - ''

''Sucks to your ass-mar!''

Jack and Piggy then collided and had started on each other. The crowd of kids surrounding them started to cheer, even the littluns. But Samneric rushed to separate the pair, however, for the sake of starting anymore fights.

''You shouldn't be doing that - ''

'' - it'll just make you batty - ''

'' - and you've been going at this - ''

'' - for weeks.''

The two boys gave each other one last glare, then headed off in opposite directions. Jack, brushing back his long, tousled scarlet hair, muttered, ''Sod him! I'll show him who's a child!'' Irritation boiled up inside of him. He didn't see why Ralph was so soft on Fatty. All he ever did was sit and moan about everyone's behaviour, when he could be doing something more useful.

And it had been going on for weeks. Fatty wasn't too friendly with manual work, so he would just lay there on his backside and moan how everyone was wasting their time. And Ralph seemed to think he had a _point! _''Well,'' Jack grumbled to himself, ''let's see who makes the biggest point now.''

He trotted into the jungle, determined to find the meatiest creature he could find. To impress Ralph. He just imagined it - the beast that had been the news on everyone's lips for a while and him would meet up. It would be disgusting - a large, pig-like creature, slimy, dark and repulsive, with maggots and worms dripping out its nose. Eagle eyes and a slit mouth, containing daggers for teeth, ready for the bloodthirsty taste ...

_Kill the beast!_

And Jack, well, he would use his spear and try to stick his spear up the beasts' genitals, where blood would occur, but no death. The beast would be too mighty for that! He would need to take out his knife.

_Cut his throat! _

Then he would place the knife across its throat, and slit it, ever so deeply. And when the beast roared in pain, he would lick the blood off his hands - and the beast's throat. But enough blood spurring from its neck wouldn't be enough.

_Spill his blood!_

Sharper, sharper ... up its genitals ... and slurp the blood pouring down from there ... but of course, not even that would slaughter something so powerful ...

_Do him in!_

He would have to call the others, wouldn't he? Even Piggy. But a fat lot of good he would be. He'd probably just sit and cry. He was pathetic and weak - he didn't even attempt to work! How could Ralph think of someone so useless such a strong mind! Okay, forget Piggy then ... he'd have Roger, his closest friend from the choir, two spears. And perhaps Ralph too, as he at least seemed to have a strange attraction about him ...

''Ooof! My bum!''

Jack had tripped over something, landing onto his backside. As he looked around, he was shocked at how far he had gone - the jungle was darkened by towering, provoking palm trees eyeing him, silently mouthing, ''Go away, you're not safe,'' with their movement. He sighed and tried to get up, but he ended up tripping over again. Then he looked down at the soil, beneath his feet.

Wires.

He was confused - how on earth did _they_ get there? Weren't abandoned islands not

supposed to have electricity? Hey, wait - were they going to be saved? Was this the wires of some kind of automated plane coming to contact them? Or perhaps wires of a signal, to point the places of lost visitors to a ferry, so they would get saved?

Jack followed the wires, closely. As the sky got darker and the trees caved in deeper, he began to feel uneasy. Maybe this was some kind of lair that the beast had planned out? Well he knew what to do if it _was_ the beast, but what if no one came in time when he called? And what if it was much more complicated that he thought? And what if the beast was ...

''Owww! Oooh, owww! M'head!''

Jack had gone face to face, with what seemed like a metal elevator. Small, electronic beeping noises were bumping and tutting from inside, and it seemed to be abandoned. Jack decided to closely peak inside.

There were the usual buttons ''Go'' and ''Stop'' and a control showing how fast or slow it could be. But then there were years written on the leavers - 1900 - 1910, 1910 - 1920, and so on. Jack continued to look up until he saw the year 2000 - 2010. He gaped with shock. What kind of machine was this? Should he tell the others?

Nah ... what would they know? As he observed the machine in delight and curiosity, he began to realise what this was.

A time machine.


	2. Chanting For Wires

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own any of the characters from Lord Of The Flies, they belong to William Golding. And sometimes I wonder how he'd deal with them if they were real.

**Summary: **While the boys are on the island, they discover a time machine which takes them to the present. What does it have in store for them? Read on ...

**Chapter One**

**Chanting For Wires**

''Jack?''

''Merridew?''

''Jack Merridew?''

''Where've you gone now?''

As Jack peered into the buttons in excitement and interest, the choir and the other school boys marched up to see him. Jack felt angered and irritated now - the secret would be out, and now everyone would want a piece of this impressive gadget.

''Jack? Where are you?''

''I think he's dead!''

''Maybe the beast ate him!'' Roger taunted.

This caused the littluns into sobs so deafening that they could be heard all the way from Castle Rock. Then Jack heard them getting whacked by Bill until they calmed down.

''I'm here, you idiots!'' Jack snapped, walking down. Hopefully, no one would be curious where he'd been. He didn't want everyone to know ...

''Jack, where've you been?'' asked Ralph. ''We was worried sick.''

The twins butted in. ''We thought you'd been - ''

'' - eaten alive - ''

'' - by the beast - ''

'' - you didn't get hurt - ''

'' - did you?''

Jack snorted. ''Yeah, I killed the beast,'' he said, airily. ''It wasn't that hard. I was going to give you a piece of its meat, but it was _boggin'_. Absolutely _boggin'._''

The boys all grimaced in disgusted sympathy and gazed at him in admiration, and headed down, except from Ralph. As the rest of the crowd headed off to bathe, Ralph gave Jack a look that didn't seem convinced.

And Piggy, his little helper, was with him.

''_What?_'' Jack grumbled. ''I killed the beast, I did. You shoulda see the blood! It was wizard!''

''Can I see the body?'' Ralph asked, suspiciously.

''Well, umm ... I threw it in the water. It's gone. Plus why would have you wanted to see it?'' Jack gabbled, sweating a little.

''We doesn't believe you killed the beast,'' Piggy said sharply, ''and you must o' made that up to impress the others!''

''Shut up, Fatty, it ain't any of your business!'' Jack retorted. The two boys glared at each other, but Ralph stood in the middle. ''Okay, guys, cool it! We just want to know what _really_ happened up there!''

''I'm no telling you,'' Jack snapped, but Piggy pointed. ''Look! Wires!''

''Woah! Wacco!'' Ralph gaped. The three boys, with Piggy in the middle, followed it. Jack felt his face flush beneath his face paint. This was it. They'd all find out, want to have things their own way and completely screw up the present time. Hard trusting them, cause of their constant squabbling ...

''Wacco!'' Ralph cried, looking inside the metal machine.

''Wizard.''

''Good!''

Jack and Ralph glared at Piggy for his disadvantage of cool and unusual slang. Then Ralph turned to glare at Jack. ''That was a dirty trick.''

''What?''

''Saying you killed the beast. That was a dirty trick.''

''Yeah, but I didn't want anyone to know about ... ''

Ralph blew the conch as hard as he could. Before he knew it, all the others were up and admiring the time machine, swivelling around it, peering inside, admiring the shiny surface of the strange-looking elevator.

''Wacco!''

''Like a bomb!''

''Whee-aa-oo!''

Jack then shoved through the crowd and grabbed hold of the controls. Ralph also made his way through and got in. He then began to speak.

''Jack said earlier on that he killed the beast. It wasn't true. He just made it up, because he

didn't want everyone to know about this,'' Ralph declares. Jack gave Ralph a venomous

look. All he wanted to go right now was strangle him. ''But we're going to use this machine to take us home! It'll help us get back!''

The crowd cheered, but Jack shook his head sympathetically. ''You fools!'' he barked. ''That machine doesn't take you home.''

''Then what is it?'' Ralph snapped, glowering at Jack.

''A time machine.''

There was a long silence. Then the boys started to whoop in excitement.

''Wacco!''

''Wizard!''

''Like a bomb!''

''Whee-aa-oo!''

''Bong!''

''Doink!''

The boys danced in excitement. Who knows what this machine could lead them to? They would be at a whole new world! They crowded around it, chanting excitedly unusual slang, and then jumping and tackling on another. There was no need to contain this fizzling pleasure inside of them - they would be the first to know about this! They'd be rich!

''Millionaires!'' cried Robert.

''Billionaires!'' Bill gasped.

''Trillionaires!'' a littlun piped up.

''Gazillionaires!'' Jack proclaimed.

The crowd cheered. In fact, they cheered and cheered and cheered. In fact, they cheered so much that -

''Jack? Jack? Where are you?''

''Ralph?''

''Hey, guys ... ?''

Little did they realise that their chief and lead hunter had gone right smack down in the middle of 2000-2010.


	3. Broke In London

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own any of the characters from Lord Of The Flies, they belong to William Golding. And sometimes I wonder how he'd deal with them if they were real. I only own anyone that doesn't belong in LOtF.

**Summary: **While the boys are on the island, they discover a time machine which takes them to the present. What does it have in store for them? Read on ...

**A/N: **I know the fic seems a little weird, but it's not a futuristic fic, it's about the boys right now in present. Also, it's comparing the characters to modern day situations. Thanks for any reviews, btw, and enjoy! -

**Chapter Two**

**Broke In London**

The fair-haired boy and the redhead sauntered in the cool, cloudy streets of London that day. The buildings were much different from before - instead of using lumpy bricks most of the time, the bricks were soft, smooth and sharp and the buildings were much more complex than before - and somehow looked quite plastic. They looked around at the adults and kids around them.

The dress sense must have changed an awful lot! Instead of stockings, dresses and ankle length trousers, most women wore what looked like denim trousers and long-sleeved shirts, and men wore loose T-Shirts with strange cartoons on them. A girl that walked past the boys was wearing a strange pink suit with white stripes and a white top saying, ''You've been a bad boy - go to my room.''

''That's a dirty joke,'' Ralph said, screwing his face up in disgust, as he eyed her chest disapprovingly.

The girl looked around and glared at both boys. ''Wot? Ya want some?'' she sneered. ''Fat chance! I've got a b.f, now eff off!'' She turned and headed off. Ralph shook his head in confusion. What the girl was speaking was a completely different language.

''She's batty,'' Ralph muttered to Jack, who smirked.

''We should of bashed 'er in,'' he laughed.

''Jack!''

He said nothing, but looked amused. ''This place is wacco,'' he smiled. ''Everything is different!'' He began to look around in amazement. ''I mean, look at _that_ building! It's so big! I mean, look at _that! _It's round! We didn't get buildings as round as _that!_''

Jack and Ralph peered around, in amazement. It was like being on a different planet - everything was so interesting and new. The people around them were talking so casually, saying a lot of unusual words they didn't understand (''minging,'' ''homie'' and ''lush'') and loads of women seemed to enjoy wearing strange, stripy suits in pastel colours like sky blue and light pink. One girl even walked past them with amazing dark brown streaks in vivid, bright blonde hair wearing a skirt that hardly got past her bum, wearing big, furry boots up to her knees.

''Is that real fur?'' Ralph whispered to Jack.

''Could be!'' Jack giggled. ''Maybe she killed an animal and wrapped the fur around her boots! She could be a good hunter!'' Without another word, Jack pulled Ralph by the arm and rushed up to the girl. She stopped to a halt, and eyed them curiously.

They were both probably twelve, but looked much older, to to their height. One had soft, golden collar-length hair and the other had shoulder-length, matted ginger hair and was wearing an extraordinary black cap with a golden badge at the top. He was also wearing some rather provoking face paint on his face - one half of it was red and the other was white, marked with black charcoal. One eye was ringed with white clay and one cheek too. They smiled at her, but it seemed somewhat menacing.

''Is that real fur?'' Jack asked, in an unusual saccharine sweet voice. The girl, raising her thin, plucked eyebrows, looked down on them.

''I said is that real fur?''

The girl shook her head, looking somewhat confused.

''If it's not real fur, how come it looks like real fur?'' Jack asked.

''Oh, of course,'' the girl said ironically, and the boy misinterpreted her sarcasm.

''You should join our tribe!'' Jack cried, feeling the fur of her shoes with awe. ''You would be a great hunter! We kill pigs and eat 'em! We feast! If you can strip fur off a creature, you could kill the beast! What d'you say then, eh? Seems fun, eh?''

The girl looked shocked. ''First, the fur is fake!'' she gasped. ''Second, I'm a vegetarian! Third of all, it doesn't seem like fun at all!'' She writhed away. ''_And get off my boots!_'' she yelped, rushing off.

Ralph glared at Jack. ''A fat lot of good that was.''

''You shut up!''

''No, you shut up!''

''No, _you!_''

''No, _you!_''

''Hey, guys!''

Piggy was behind them, along with Samneric, Simon, Roger and Bill. They were all smiling as they marched up to them in unison, Piggy leading them.

''How did _you_ lead 'em here?'' Jack snapped at him.

''I said I'd give them a piggyback ride,'' Piggy mumbled, as Simon clambered on top of him. ''Okay, umm, Simon, where d'you wanna go?''

''To the sweet shop!'' Simon cried, and Piggy (ungainly) rode him there. The others followed.

''So, the littluns know what they're doing?'' Ralph asked Samneric.

''Dont worry, they were - ''

'' - sent to a playbarn - ''

'' - we'll go back for 'em.''

''How have you got used to all this so soon?'' Ralph asked in confusion.

''Oh, Piggy lived in them streets,'' Sam said. ''Y'know. The suburbs. Back then.''

''Mmmkay,'' Ralph muttered, licking his lips. He felt a bit confused, as they entered the sweet shop. But instead of the old traditional mix-ups, there were bars wrapped up in shiny, bright wrappers and packets with cartoon characters on them. The boys looked around in curiosity, wondering what to buy.

''Let's buy this!'' Piggy waved, waving a huge family-sized bar of Dairy Milk.

''You would, Fatty!'' Jack snapped. ''No, let's buy this!'' He flashes a Sherbet dip-dab in Ralph's face. ''Let's take it!''

''We haven't got any money, though!'' Ralph exclaimed.

''Let's steal it, then!'' Jack whispered. He shoved the Sherbet dip-dab into his pants and shoved a Yorkie under Piggy's top. He shoved a handful of sweets into Ralph's pants, and some into Samneric's. Then, while the shop keeper snacked on a chocolate bar while no one was looking, Jack hissed, ''_Now!_'' The boys then scampered, as fast as they could out the shop, Piggy fumbling behind them. As a Twirl escaped from his shorts as he had just got out, it was then the shopkeeper had noticed.

''Hey!'' she snapped. ''You dropped something!''

The group of boys met up with Henry and the others. ''This place is wacco!'' he exclaimed.

''Wizard!''

''Like a bomb!''

''Bong!''

''Doink!''

''Thing is,'' Piggy said, ''where will we stay? And who will look after us?''

All the boys, including the littluns, were taken in by the police, after Piggy claimed they couldn't find their parents (''It's different timing, if you know what I mean'') and sent to a foster home. As the police drove Ralph, Jack and Simon in their car, the police asked them, ''What's with all the face paint, then? Pretending to be a tribe?''

''We _are_ a tribe,'' Jack said, ''and we hunt for pigs. We're going to kill a beast soon.''

A women's voice cackled. ''Yes, that reminds me of how I used to be as a child.''

''Hey, you're a women!'' Jack pointed out. ''Women aren't supposed to be policemen.''

''Who said?'' she said, in a sarky voice, and turned around. Despite her hair being tightly brushed back into a messy ponytail and wearing a plain grey top and trousers, she was actually quite a pretty women, with pouty dark lips and big hazel eyes. ''And I'm not a policeman. I'm a police-_woman_, for your information.''

''You can't get those,'' Jack grumbled.

''Actually, you can so,'' Ralph interrupted. ''My father worked in the Navy. _He_ knew some policewoman. And he says that some of them were better working than the men.''

The policewoman nodded, mouthing _See! _at Jack, but Jack barked at Ralph, ''You shut up about your dad!''

''No! My dad was _wizard!_''

''Wizard?'' the policeman asked, confused. ''Isn't that an old-fashioned phrase?''

''No, of course not!'' Ralph smiled. ''We use it all the time, yeah.''

The two police officers gave each other odd glances. ''They're rather strange children, aren't they?'' the policeman muttered, as they pulled in at the foster home.

''You're telling me,'' the policewoman laughed. ''I wonder how they're going to cope here.''

As the boys got out the car, Ralph nudged Simon. ''You all right?'' he mumbled to him.

''Umm, yes,'' he said quietly. ''But I think people find us a bit strange with, what, the way we talk and look.''

''Who cares what they think?'' Jack said cheerfully, slapping Simon on the back. ''We're

hunters and we're going to hunt a beast!''

''Well, not anymore,'' Simon said humbly. ''We've went about ... fifty five years later into the future. We're back in the town we live in. The beast has probably ... died of old age.''

''Or maybe someone else killed it,'' Ralph shrugged.

Although he didn't comment, a boiling surge of blood flooded straight to Jack's head. _How dare they steal our glory!_

As the rest of the boys got transported off here (lots of police cars had to collect each small group of boys), Ralph looked up at the ''foster home''. It was dumpy and plain - a greyish colour seemed to loom around the brown-bricked building and the windows were clear and blank. Ralph sighed, remembering what his old house used to look like ...

A woman staggered out, carrying a wailing baby. ''What's this, then?'' she sighed, cradling the baby in her arms, trying to sooth it.

''School boys, lost in the city,'' one policeman panted.

The woman gasped. ''I'm not going to look after _that_ lot!'' she shouted. ''I've got enough on my hands as it is! Don't they know where their parents are?''

The boys looked down at the feet. ''We think they're dead,'' mumbled Piggy.

The woman looked as if she was going to faint of exhaustion. ''I can't look after more boys, and twenty five other kids,'' she gaped. ''You're gonna have to send them somewhere else.''

Jack snapped. That was it! He marched straight up to the woman and growled, ''Listen you. We've been hunting for pigs and we've been crying on this island 'cause there was a beast there. We've been trying to light fires and making up ideas to get rescued. But you say _no_ - you can't let us in, 'cause it's too many people! Well, that's just unfair, isn't it?'' Jack grabbed a spear and threatened the woman with it. ''Let us in, or we'll do _you_ in!''

The woman looked shocked. There was a long silence, except from the baby in her arms sniffing. Then, finally, she grumbled, ''Fine, but only a limited number of you can come in here. The rest of you'll be sent to the other homes very close by in this town, so you'll be together.''

The boys brought back the littluns and stayed in the foster home. As they headed indoors, they noticed two boys, about their age, playing some kind of game on the television, with this black, square machine laying in front of them, with links to the remote controls they were holding, which were in the shape of a boomerang.

''Wacco,'' whispered Simon, as he watched the two boys race each other in flashy, exciting stripy cars.

One boy, wearing a baseball cap, turned around. ''What you lookin' at?'' he snapped.

''That game,'' Simon gasped, pointing. ''How d'you do that?''

''It's a PS2, _duuurr!_'' the boy sneered.

''We didn't know that, _duuurr!_'' Jack imitated, and the boys laughed.

''Bunch of retards!'' the cap boy snarled, as he turned to the game. ''Why're you wearing all that make-up? Are you, like, cross-dressers or somethin'?''

Again, the future race were talking in a completely different language.

''We're not cross-dressers, or whatever that is, we're _hunters_,'' Jack said coldly, ''and if you don't watch it I might just poke my spear into you.''

The cap boy gave the group of boys odd glances, as he turned away to play his game. Simon shook his head. ''They don't understand us.''

''It's 'cause they're stupid,'' Jack said playfully. ''Stupid, stupid, stupid.'' He made a crazy face at the cap boy, and Simon giggled shyly. As they headed upstairs, they heard a row going on.

''You're ruining my life!'' they heard a girl scream, and a tall girl with raven black hair in a black dress with lots of black make-up around her eyes, white foundation masked on and red lips flounced downstairs, tears streaming down her cheeks. Simon was startled. ''What kind of place _is_ this?'' he asked in a hushed voice.

''Let's find out what's wrong with her.'' The boys followed the girl downstairs into the kitchen. ''Hey, are you okay?'' Simon asked softly, sitting beside her at the table.

''Okay? Okay? _Do I look okay!_'' the girl yelled, as she sobbed into a mug of coffee. ''They won't let me do _anything_ here! They won't let me _be_ here!''

''Would you like to join our tri - '' Jack began, but Piggy hushed him with a look. He then turned to the girl. ''Hey, try not to cry so hard,'' he said. ''What's the problem?''

''They won't let me visit my mum,'' she sniffed.

''Why not?''

''Because I've got to look after the brats here!'' she snapped.

''Oh, that's harsh!''

''Unfair!''

''Nasty!''

''Hey, I'm not a brat,'' Piggy said, looking hurt.

''No, it's not you ... it's the other kids,'' the girl spat, as the boys were impressed by her use of bad words. ''All they ever do is fight and cry and yell and I'm sick of having to babysit them, because half the time they're so ungrateful and they all hate each other. I'm sick of it!''

''I'd be sick of it too,'' Jack began. ''In fact, I'd be so sick of it, I'd have to kill 'em and cook 'em for food.'' Somehow, someway, the girl burst out laughing into a fit of giggles.


	4. Wise Piggy

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own any of the characters from Lord Of The Flies, they belong to William Golding. And sometimes I wonder how he'd deal with them if they were real. I only own anyone that doesn't belong in LOtF.

**Summary: **While the boys are on the island, they discover a time machine which takes them to the present. What does it have in store for them? Read on ...

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews guys! To Cammie Jensen, yes, perhaps I'll inhert a bit of slash later on. If you really want a slash fic, read ''Dare Risk Temptation?'' btw. To Shadowy Bey-Gurl and Bo Jang, thank you:D :D :D V.nice of you guys. Hey, anyway ...

**Chapter Three**

**Wise Piggy**

The boys got to learn about a few others who accompanied them at the foster home. There was Miranda, a stocky, curly-haired little girl about Simon's age, Alicia, a thin, teenage girl with long fair hair, three brothers - David McGraw and his younger twin brothers Timothy and Lou. The cap boy and his friend were Joe and Mitchell. And the dark-haired girl who still had smudges from the the crying sniffed and said her name was Amanda.

'' ... but I don't like it much,'' she grumbled, her charcoal make-up seeming to branch over her pale face. ''It's a stupid name, it doesn't suit me much. My mum was called Ryanna, which is much more interesting. Y'see, my parents work abroad so I can't see 'em often, and my mum's best mate Eileen works here. She's well nice and all, but the kids who roam this place are so bloody damn annoying!'' She kicked the table in frustration and Simon smiled sympathetically.

''I'm sure Eileen would let yeh meet your mum if you really cared so much,'' he said, softly.

''No! She won't! You want to know why?'' Amanda spat. ''It's all ''_What about the kids, what about the kids?_'' Aaaargh! What about them? All they ever do is seem to complain about their lives and how oh so bored they are, and I'm really getting tired of it!''

Simon sighed, sympathetically. he felt for the poor girl, he really did. The others, however ... with Jack scratching his head, picking a scab then having a nibble at it, Piggy stuffing a white bread roll into his mouth and Ralph flicking his hair out his face, that was a different story.

As Simon was about to put his arm around her, Alicia came in, smiling serenely.

''Oh, hello, there,'' she smiled, in a saccharine, sweet voice. ''I heard there were boys here. Do you need anything?'' She tilted forward towards Ralph, beaming. Ralph looked slightly befuddled, but nodded politely.

''Where are we going to sleep?'' he asked innocently, but Amanda snorted. Alicia twinkled again.

''Well, there are a few spare rooms with free beds, but I'm not sure whether you'll be able to fit in all of them. Perhaps you'll need to share ... '' She turned and walked away, while Amanda leered at her with a mixture of rage and envy.

There was a long silence ...

''I'll be sharing, all right!'' Piggy proclaimed, linking his arm through Ralph's. ''We'll be fine with that.'' He also gave Alicia a distant, envious glare. Amanda caught his eye, and then they grinned secretly together.

''Call me Manda,'' she said crisply, glancing at the small group of boys as they sat around the table. ''I tell everyone to call me that, but it's always _Mandy_ instead,'' she muttered grudgingly, through gritted teeth.

''Mmmm,'' Jack grunted, gazing into Piggy's brown flesh hungrily, wishing to devour it. ''Got anything to eat? Just looking at this meat here is making my stomach rumble.'' As he gave an obvious glance at Piggy across the table, the boys chuckled mercilessly.

Manda raised his eyebrows at Jack - he had a bit of a badass attitude. Okay, he _had_ been nice earlier on ... but that was no excuse to tease someone because of their weight. Although she had never been teased about this, she had remembered looking in the mirror and surges of frustration filling through her, wanting to tear at the fat, rip it off ...

Jack sighed. ''Just a joke.'' His eyes darted from Piggy to Manda and grumbled. ''Got any pig?''

''Bacon all right for you?'' Manda sighed, her eyebrows raised.

Jack didn't really care - if it was pig, then yes! He had been craving pig all day and he wasn't ready to try out new things. Unless it was the sweets in his pants ...

While Manda started to cook the food, Simon smiled shyly. ''She seems nice,'' he whispered to Ralph.

''She'll probably start at us when we act all improper,'' Ralph hissed back. ''She reminds me of my Mother.''

''She reminds me of my granny,'' Jack sniggered. ''She's _so_ shouty!''

Piggy, going a deep shade of beetroot, felt like he needed to retort, ''Hey, maybe you just don't have a decent nan.''

''Aww, sucks to yer nan!'' the boys all catcalled at Piggy. He then decided it was a good idea to keep his mouth shut.

The rest of the day, went on quite quickly for the boys. While they spoke to Manda - who, although wasn't as stunningly exotic as Alicia appeared, was quite interesting and had a good sense of humour. She was into lots of bands they hadn't heard of, apparently known as ''rock'' ("I kinda listen to feminist bitching, most of the time, but when I'm at least ten percent happy I'll listen to it") and seemed interesting with the way she had done her face, which made her look a bit like an Egyptian.

Finally, it was time for ... bed. And judging by Jack's attitude, you should have guessed how that had went ...

''_Nooo!_'' Jack shrieked in pain, as Manda pulled a pyjama top over him, struggling as he writhed. ''You cannot do this to me! We don't wear this uniform! _We don't!_ _WE DON'T!_''

''Shut up,'' Piggy snapped. And for once, everyone agreed with him.

The boys headed for the spare bedrooms, and had to make the most of it. The beds were very squat and tiny. A rather disgruntled Jack had to share with Ralph, much to his disappointment. Simon had to sleep with Roger, and although he had known him for a long period of time, was still slightly intimidated by his anti-social behaviour ...

Of course, though, Sam had to sleep with Eric and Bill and Maurice and such. But the only objection that was making Jack's blood boil was Piggy! Sleeping on his own? And why? ''I can't! It's my asthma!'' Sucks to his asthma! He was a hunter! Jack should have a single bed, and not sleep with _Ralph!_

Plus, Ralph was snoring ...

Jack had to kick Ralph. Hard. Seriously, he couldn't even _think_ without that eruptive tune that was gurgling out his mouth! And Ralph thought he was the best, eh? Because he was Chief? Well, his midnight vocal chords sure weren't! Oh Gosh, how he couldn't get to sleep. Oh, how he couldn't.

So he kicked him. Why not? He could fight back - he wasn't a silly baby, like Piggy. Plus, he probably hardly noticed. In fact, too damned right he didn't. He continued on snoring.

_That's it! _Jack thought to

Ah. The first day of school. Of course, the boys weren't looking forward to this, as they hadn't been merry and bright in their old schools - gosh, the teachers were strict and the children were annoying! The boys were usually rowdy and shouty, and the girls quiet and polite, standing in their own little corners while the boys took up half the space. Strangely enough, it wasn't that way in Besley Boarding School from primary to secondary classes ...

The girls were much, _much_ louder than before! Instead of wearing stockings, knee-length skirts and long-sleeved shirts, most of them had their buttons undone down to their chest (for some, even lower), wore tiny white shirts, black thigh-length socks and skirts down to their rump. And as for the boys ... instead of waistcoats, stockings and boots, most of them wore baggy trousers, shirts unbuttoned to their chests and messy ties. And they swore! _So_ much!

''That's dirty!'' Piggy said aloud, when a boy shouted, ''fuck off!'' at two tittering girls. Simon blushed heavily and looked as if he was about to pass out, however.

''Haha! Dirty!'' the boy sneered at Piggy. He then put his index finger and his tumb into two circles and shaded them over his eyes. ''Hoot hoot! Hoot hoot!''

The girls giggled even more. Piggy went a dark shade of beetroot ... then, incredibly, came up with, ''At least an owl has brains, unlike _you!_''

The boy glared at him, then smirked. He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, ''Oh yeah, you're soo smart!'' He laughed by himself and headed off, but the girls shook their heads at him in disapproval.

''That was pretty funny,'' the younger one tittered, looking up at Piggy in amusement.

''Umm, well, funny's not really my ... umm, _thing_.'' Piggy attempted to sound casual but

failed.

However, she still smiled up at him. ''No, it's okay. I suppose everyone finds it hard to fit in, don't they?''

Piggy shrugged. ''I suppose it's kind of hard for me, because of the group I'm around ... ''

The older girl shook her head. ''Hey, don't worry. Everyone's a little confused around here. Come and join me and Emma and we'll introduce ya to the lads ... ''

Piggy, in a state of surprise, headed off with the two girls, and Ralph gazed directly at Jack. ''What the hell just happened there?''

''I think they've got it in for him,'' Jack snickered. ''Heh heh! They like him! Piggy's a looker!'' he laughed.

Ironically too, as they seen Piggy standing in the middle of a crowd of attractive teenage females.


	5. Skoolz Don't Rulz

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own any of the characters from Lord Of The Flies, they belong to William Golding. And sometimes I wonder how he'd deal with them if they were real. I only own anyone that doesn't belong in LOtF.

**Summary: **While the boys are on the island, they discover a time machine which takes them to the present. What does it have in store for them? Read on ...

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews guys! To Cammie Jensen - NOT PIGGY/RALPH I PROMISE! lol But anyway ... Yup, Shadowy Bey-Gurl, Piggy's popular. Ironic, I know. But hey, it's not meant to be a straight-head story. If I wrote straight-head stories, I'd write the same old "girl meets boy, falls in love, all the boys want girl ..." crap. NOOO! Just ... no. I'm weird! And that's how it is. :)

**Chapter Four**

**Skoolz Don't Rulz**

Jack angrily ruffled his crimson, coarse hair as he shuffled across the school grounds.A group of boys passed him and glared. Their hair was bleached, and they had scrunched up faces, almost like goblins. They were wearing strange suits containing of burberry and flat caps. They actually looked quite smart with their tartan blazers and walking together in a group. But their spitting, however, was common and vulgar.

''Disgusting!'' Jack snorted, rather loudly. He smirked it off, knowing he'd get away with it. But no. God he was wrong.

The bleacher boys glared at Jack, and caved in on him, like a flock of birds. The tallest one, who seemed to be their ringleader, spat at him.

''It's deegustin' eh?'' he sneered. ''Deegustin'! Yer 'ee deegustin' one! Stoopid pure mental gawf fag!'' He started honking with laugher, like a donkey. Jack stared at him, puzzled.

''It _is_ disgusting!'' he snapped. ''No decent man would do that! Plus, I don't know whatever a goth is, so you're talking mince in my opinion.''

''Yeer make-oop _eez_ gawffic!'' the bleacher screamed with laugher, and his henchman followed.

It was true, though - Jack did look a little ''gawffic.'' He had been the only one to rebel against the ''no make up to school'' rule at the foster home, and had entered wearing luminous colours of black, green and red, with black lips and eyes tinged slightly green and red hieroglyphics all over his face. Roger had also followed this look. He stood in front of Jack, clutching a spear in his hands. ''If you take Jack, you'll have to take me too,'' he growled, shielding him.

The bleachers guffawed at them. ''Oh, so whit yee gonna do eeboot it?''

Roger charged at the bleacher, diving at him, knocking him over - the bleacher now looked petrified! He squawked and squawked like a parrot, but the raging, glum-faced boy refused to let go. A crowd of girls who had been twiddling with Piggy's curls rushed over to watch, Piggy rushing after them desperately. Roger held up his spear like a knife, all ready to

smash it into the bleacher.

''Pweeze, mate! I woz just having a laff, innit!'' the bleacher shrieked. ''Lemme go!''

''Take it back!'' Roger barked hoarsely.

''But yeh _was_ gothic, eh!''

However, Ralph made it through to save the day - he thrown himself at both Roger and the bleacher, but catching Roger in his grasp. The bleacher, who looked somewhat both amazed and confused, brushed himself as he pulled himself back up. ''Ya saved me life,'' he gasped, gazing at Ralph. ''Ya saved me life.''

''Well, not exactly,'' Piggy pointed out. ''That Roger's just psychotic anyways.''

Roger glared and started forward towards Piggy, but the bleacher got in the way. He chuckled at Piggy's joke.

''Yeh, 'ee iz psycho, man,'' he hissed, when Roger was out of earshot. ''Pure mental.'' he then nodded appreciatively at Ralph and Piggy, then strutted off. Ralph rolled his eyes, then hissed at Jack, ''His voice is funny!''

''Don't say that in front of him!'' Piggy snapped. ''He's decent enough to let you go.''

''Piggy.''

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''Class, we have a few new students,'' whirred Mr Whimsdale, the History teacher. He was lank and bleak with a personality to match, mumbling the names, ''... Rulf ... Simin ... Juck ... Rooger ... und Curl.''

''Carl?'' Jack pronounced delicately, with a clear and bright voice.

''Whutever, just get to yer seats,'' Mr Whimsdale sighed, a long, spider-like hand running through his greasy, thin fair. As the five boys sat down, Jack hissed across to Piggy, ''Curl! Curl! You're growing a _Curl-ley_ tail!''

Piggy snorted. ''Oh, it's just a name,'' he scolded as quietly as he could. ''It's not _that_ funny!''

Jack snorted to himself and placed his feet upon his desk. As Mr Whimsdale groaned and droned about how the British discovered cars, Ralph glanced over at him, smudging black clay around his eyes and scratching his head. _He really didn't want to understand the future, did he? _Sighing, he lay back in his own chair, and noticed that his fair hair that lost its control and curled in his eyes. He flicked it away. Nope, still there. He flicked it again. Still there! He soon lost interested that Scotland were the first to find British Oil or whatever Mr Whimsdale was speaking about, and started trying to blow his hair out of his eyes. One boy glanced at him. Pointed. Then sniggered. Ralph glared back - but there was no time. He just _had_ to get that hair out of his eyes! So he continued to repeat this routine, until the end of the period.

However, whilst Jack and Ralph hadn't learned a thing, Roger and Simon were heavily

engrossed in their studies, along with "Carl." "Carl" had also noticed that Roger and Simon had been glancing at each other for afar ... he was reluctant to know why this was, but he decided not to engage any further. He also decided that he'd prefer not to be known as Piggy anymore ... but something a little more edgy ...

As Roger headed off by his own to Art, he noticed some boys in their year throwing something. Rubber, perhaps. Hah! Was that the best that they could do?_ Rubber? _He was all prepared to show them what a _real _weapon of choice was, but that was then, where there had been no rules ...

And now, he just had to abide them ... but -

It was Simon.

It was Simon they were throwing the rubber at. Simon. And Roger wasn't going to allow that. Sure, Simon was batty, bonkers, bomb-happy and round the bend, but he was also a choir member, and not to mention, one of the more friendlier choir members! Before he knew it, spraying out of his hands were rocks, at the boys who had been hurtling the stationary substances at Simon.

In shock, the boys recoiled, not knowing who it was. A plan then struck him! He then chucked one at the dark boy. Then one at the one with the sticky-out nose. Then again. From the back ... then from the other side! Left, left again ... forward, retreat! Roger continued to repeat this routine until the two boys confronted each other.

''Stop throwing that at me!'' the dark boy shouted at his friend.

''What? It wasn't me! It was _you!_''

''Fuckin' right, you sad prick! What're you tryin' to do, eh?''

''Are you sayin' - Ya wanna piece of me!''

''Oh, aye right! Blame it all on _me!_'' The two boys continued to rant aloud to one another, as Simon headed to Art in peace. Feeling the need of protection, Roger caught up with him.

''Were those boys bothering you?'' he asked quietly. Not quite looking him in the eye, Simon nodded.

''They're a bit queer. Don't no why they were doing it ... so I chucked some rocks at them, but they thought it was them.''

''Huh?'' Simon blinked, startled.

''It wasn't what I did ... it was the _way_ I did it.''

''Oh! Wacco!''

The two boys laughed as they headed for class. Strangely enough, as they got there, they realised they were stuck with Piggy again, and Samneric! What also surprised them is the fact that Piggy already had a crowd of twelve around him.

''How the hell did he get so great around people?'' Roger hissed, raising an eyebrow.

''Beats me,'' Simon shrugged. Startled at the noise level of the group, Simon decided it would be rather wizard to see what was going on ...

''Ya know whit rapping iz?'' a boy demanded, standing opposite Piggy. He was dark and tanned, with a witty grin and dark glittering eyes. Although he was wearing the school uniform, he was swearing it much cooler than the obvious "rebels" with two buttons down his shirt, one diamond earring and a few golden bracelets hanging from his wrists.

''No, but I haven't been listening recently,'' Piggy muttered. ''I don't really listen to music ... if y'know what I mean ... erm ... different timing.''

The boy glanced, then rolled his eyes. ''Whiteva.'' He then diverged into his own little performance, talking at a strange, bizzare speed. Neither Samneric, Roger or Simon could make out a word he was saying, but Piggy was listening intently. ''Now _you_ try.''

He stood, there; waiting. Piggy gasped; there was an audience. He breathed in; nothing came out. He sighed; but then he caught his breath. And suddenly, ever so quick, words errupted from his mouth like vomit:

''Yo, yo yo, I'm talkin' to yo! Me and m'friends don't know where to go! It's hot, never cold, it don't rain or snow, and we never know if we've ever missed our favourite show! It's a nice warm night, which is what I desire, I'd rather hang with my friends and play, than curl up around a fire! So if you're feeling feel blue, and you're no friendly with your crew - remember, desertion on an island never happened to _you!_''

The crowd gasped; even Roger caught his breath. That was one good thing Piggy was good at! When the crowd exploded a huge applause, Simon gasped for his last breath and passed out.


	6. In One Helluva Conchshell

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own any of the characters from Lord Of The Flies, they belong to William Golding. And sometimes I wonder how he'd deal with them if they were real. I only own anyone that doesn't belong in LOtF.

**Summary: **While the boys are on the island, they discover a time machine which takes them to the present. What does it have in store for them? Read on ...

**A/N: **Thanks all the reviews ... cool you're still interested. :) Also, hopefully, can you check out my fic Almost An Apology and tell me what you think? I know I sound a bit desperate, but I've just started it and wondered what you might think. Otherwise, just read on. Thank you all for the reviews, I'm keeping your ideas in hand. :)

PS: Don't take this chapter _too_ seriously - I have a feeling you may want to flame me for this 'un. But hopefully, you guys will realise the joke:D

**Chapter Five**

**In One Helluva Conchshell**

Ever since that day, school had been a rather unusual experience for the boys. Everything around them was a blur - different clothing, different attitudes, different lifestyles. In the future presence the words "soft, spoken-nice and polite" did not arouse girls - in fact, it seemed fashionable to speak in a erratic type of rude, sloppy slang. In fact, many girls fought on the school grounds over the most superficial habits (''Aye, you was lookin' at me in Chemmy, ya stoopid lezz!'' snapped a female sporting a peroxide mane, as she charged at another almost identical to her), stretched their ties down to their navels and crouched in little tribes

at every opportunity, gossiping, giggling and gorging on foods. However, this contrast to Alicia Decricia Anderson was what made her the flicker of the fog.

She was a fragile girl - she was frail and yet, lean, with flowing, golden locks, which perfectly complimented her heart-shaped face, and sparkling blue eyes. She had a small snub nose, which earned her the nickname ''Little Mouse'' by the locals around her and she sang in the choir. Oh yes, she sang well. Out burst the golden beams of heaven as the voice of an angel crawled from her apple-shaped lips. And the rise of applause overthrowned her entire weight of nine stone and a bit, as men wolf-whistled, boys and girls catcalled and eldery women sobbed into their wrinkled tissues, murmuring, ''She's a right starlet, she really is. She should sing for _Gods_ with such a voice like that ... ''

''Get in,'' Manda grumbled, running her fingers through her greasy dark hair as she reluctantly opened the door for her. As Alicia gently grasped her way to the kitchen, humming sweetly and softly, Manda grumbled, ''Good day, then?''

''Oh, it was fine,'' Alicia smiled serenely, picking up a littlun and then tickling him. ''Who's been a good boy, then? Who's been a good boy?'' she cooed, tickling him.

The littlun screeched with laughter and tried to grasp her hair. Alicia didn't flinch back, but Manda made a grasp for the littlun, and he began to howl.

''Dear me ... don't you think Pe...umm, the little boy likes me?'' Alicia stammered, a flinch of hurt in her icy blue eyes.

''His name's _Percival_ and he likes everyone,'' Manda retorted, her dark, cold eyes flashing, as she pushed Percival. Not too rough, but hard enough. Alicia gasped in shock, but Percival just looked up at them two girls in blatant stupidity.

''Hey, Percival, d'you like me then?'' Manda muttered.

Percival blinked.

''Of course! You're _so_ nice to me! In fact, you're both so _nice_ to me!'' Percival cried, as he jumped from his feet. He looked around, and then gasped. ''Ooooh! It's the boys! It's the boys! Quick - it's the boys!'' He danced, in the most eccentric manner, in the manner of needing a very long-awaited, stingy pee-pee.

Manda sighed, as she moped up to the door. A shock of crimson hair blocked her way from eyesight of the girls as Jack Merridew charged in in a sudden rage, with a flustered Roger moping along.

''_Rrrrrrrarrrrrgh!_'' he yelled, as he dived onto the staircase. ''Gonna eat 'em all!''

The two girls stared in a rise of shock, as Jack started thrashing himself at the staircase. Kicking repetitively, he glowered and lowered; snarled and spat; roared and raged. Scarlet didn't just drown his hair, but from head to toe the blood pressure had caught up with him. An unkempt eyebrow raised, Manda muttered, ''So I take it things are going spectacular, eh?''

Though still looking flawless, Alicia frowned slightly. ''Bad day, then?''

''I'm gonna get 'em all! I'm gonna _eat_ 'em all! I'm gonna eat 'em when I _catch_ 'em, and I'm gonna catch them _all!_'' Jack stomped on the floor, as a littlun started to wail a wild, savage roar. Manda groaned, ''_Shit!_'' as she rushed to find Henry, who appeared to have replaced his vocal chords with the conch Ralph had been clutching onto since they arrived. As he bawled about losing something somewhere, Alicia softly smiled at the group of boys surrounding her.

''So how was school, then?'' she asked, a sugary sweetness dripping from her soft lips.

''These - these - these ... bloody bloody dirty scumbag ... '' Jack kicked the staircase in frustration and howled so loudly even the bleachers by the old, dirty restaurant could hear.

Alicia kneeled down and placed herself by the raging half-savage, and tilted her head ever so slight. A pallid smile spread across her plump lips, as she began to stroke the hairs of his neck. He snapped - and she retreated. He cracked - and she recoiled. He growled and cursed under his breath; she whispered and cooed softly, a bird in a deep passionate embrace. She softly swayed herself against him, giggling as his growls grew from irate to erotic.

The boys looked at her. Skinny girl draped over a feral dictator.

Ralph _looked_ at her. Yes. She was beautiful. And yes ... she was so sweet, but ... even for such a brutal boy like Jack, it all seemed too disturbing. Just not too right. Just not too ... just. No, it could not be. He couldn't let her do this, could he? He wouldn't let her do this ... would he? Was Jack so infatuated to fall into this angel's grasp? Or was he just too ignorant to understand what she was actually doing ... ?

''What _is_ she doing?''

Alicia gently stroked Jack's chin, as she giggled in the manner of a puppet. Then, she turned to Ralph. ''You very well?'' she asked, in a perfectly serene manner.

''Um - umm, yes. Yes,'' Ralph muttered, under his breath, trying not to fix any glare of a sort on her.

''That's good,'' she smiled. As Jack swaggered, drunken in love, Ralph asked her, ''Why was he not too smashing?''

''He's only upset because the more favourable group won't accept him into their circle,'' she sighed, looking down at her feet, and looking up at the boys with her wide, blue eyes. ''They thought he was too ... _bestial_,'' she whimpered delicately. She sighed again, looking towards the window. ''It's so depressing how everyone is so cruel to one another nowadays.''

Ralph felt a pang in his heart, like the shot of a gun - and the others turned to her with sympathy. Meanwhile, Piggy mimed vomiting in the background.

''I feel sorry for the poor boy,'' she wailed softly. Then she smiled, and turned to Ralph. ''But I know _you_ wouldn't do that, would you?''

Ralph felt an infactuated smirk creep up. Yes, she was beautiful ... yes, she was intelligent ... yes, she was so deep ... and interesting ... and interesting ... and interes-

''Well, if you need to _know_,'' Piggy snapped, flicking his light curls in aggression, ''I've witnessed Jack being a bit of an isolator 'imself - and I'm the proof to convey this!''

Alicia's eyes widened in shock. ''I don't believe Jack would be such a boy,'' she whispered, her voice thickening with a hint of disapproval.

Piggy gave an accurate imitation of her flaring eyes when her back was turned. ''Stupid girl,'' he muttered, as she daintily drifted towards the kitchen.

Dinner was a blur for the boys as they devoured their "bangers and mash" in a flash. As Alicia watched them chewing and chomping ravenously, she giggled, ''You boys must be hungry.'' Jack turned around and winked at her, smirking, while licking his lips. It would have been innuendo ... if it hadn't been for the lump of mash potato clinging onto his cheek. As Manda rolled her eyes and sighed, Piggy watched Jack cursing under his breath while chewing on his sausages.

''Gonna get those scumbags ... bloody bloody scumbags ... gonna get them, and eat them, but I'm gonna catch 'em all!'' he growled, while receiving funny looks from Joe and Mitchell.

''_Pok'emon!_'' Piggy squeaked, for humour effect.

The boys, however, only stared at him in confusion.

''Oh, it's just there's the show, the say "gotta catch them all," right, and well, everyone kind of pokes fun at it, it isn't really that bad, it's just a bit batty, but it isn't anything to be embarrassed about if you like it ... it just seems a bit ... oh ... '' Piggy's voice drifted away, as he noticed Pikachu smiling happily on David McGraw's red cap. He decided to remain silent after that humiliation. After all, he didn't want to seem overly conceited.

After tea, the cluster of boys cleaned up. As Manda also dug herself into her work, Simon shuffled towards her to help. ''How was today for you?''

''Pretty awful,'' she laughed, as she ran her fingers through her hair. ''Timothy and Lou wouldn't stop fighting over a ball - I mean, c'mon, it's just a ball - so I told them to calm it down, right? And no, they ignore me and keep nagging each other! ''It's my turn!'' ''No, it's my turn!'' God, it's awful having sibling rivalry in the house. I can deal well with David - he's great, about Jack's age - a bit like him, but with anger management - but Timothy and Lou are like two miniature wrestlers, always fighting! Thank God your Samneric aren't like that. They seem to get on _much_ better ...''

''Oh, yeah.''

Irony to its fullest. Samneric, unfortunately, had not been raising to their high expectations in popularity, looks and intelligence. Instead, their impression from people was awkward, sluggish and pathetic. So both twins had been combing back their dirty blonde hair, been wearing the knots of their ties down to their chests and trying to impress as many girls that surrounded them. But of course, girls wouldn't bat an eyelid if they sauntered up together - in fact, they would scuttle away as quick as possible. They blamed each other for these consequences - and vicious scraps between the boys would arose. This was a major contrast from their double act on the island, but maybe that had been an act to hold onto survival.

''... it's rather annoying, though, but I try to get through,'' Manda laughed, though lacking her humour. ''Anyway, my life's been a bit shit, how's yours?''

Simon smiled. ''Well ... it's been okay. Piggy's made a lot of friends, strangely enough! I'm proud of him for it. And, well ... Jack hasn't been as great as he expected. I think he just wanted to make friends with some older boys in the senior years, but they were very rude to him and yelled abuse ... I know I wouldn't have done that. They also looked rather hard and cold anyway. Ralph's staying with the people he knows, so he hasn't really bothered to make any proper friends yet, and well, Samneric ... they haven't been too fine.''

Just at that cue, the twins barged through the doors, as Sam pushed his brother away. ''Oldest goes first! You should know that, me beating you by three seconds!''

''What are you talking about, you shoved me!'' Eric retorted, as he thumped his older brother by three seconds. ''Now Jennifer won't want you! You fine well know that girls prefer the sensitive type!''

''Ha! Well, Jennifer thinks you're pathetic anyway!'' Sam snapped, as he reached out at Eric's dirty blonde curls and pulled hard. Soon as tension was sensed, Ralph rushed to separate both boys.

''Calm down, both of you!'' he scolded. ''I'm not too sure what you are talking about, but I think we should end this row. If not, we'll end up just like we were on the is-''

''We're not even on the island anymore!'' Jack spat.

''Ha! You're only glad because at least there's girls here! ''

Jack swivelled around immediately, and the two boys glowered. There was a silence thickening the room. Everyone stared, as the boys stood there, their eyes slits, their heads tilted to charge, their mouths curled into sneers. The silence thickened the room. No one moved a single muscle. They just gazed at the two boys, glaring and glowering, sneering and snarling, churning from two posh schoolboys to feral savages once again ...

''Boys! Boys! Calm down!'' squealed Alicia, as she skittled in between them both. ''Can't we _all_ get along?'' Breathing slower, and more quietly, the boys gradually calmed down. A silky smile tickled her cheeks as she grinned at both of them, and slid out the room.

The rest of the evening for the average boy was to flop himself onto the sofa, grab a big packet of crisps and get absorbed in his game console and whether his player shoots a large statistic of demons. The rest of the evening for the average girl was to gossip on the phone to her closest friend, watch the most popular television series on at the period and daydream over the most famous famous celebrity.

For Simon and Manda, that was not.

Whilst Piggy would shade himself in his bedroom and study, Samneric would quarrel over the games console, Ralph would attempt learning about his new environment and Jack would terrorise the littluns into helping him steal food from the kitchen, Simon would lay beneath his own little den ... in the music room. The darkness would smother the whole room, except from the glistening moon beaming down on him, as his coarse, dark hair faded to blue. Softly, and sweetly, he would sing in "C" Sharp, which only he knew, but never told

Jack, in fear that he would see it as competition. His fingers gracefully touched the ends of the piano notes, as he sat on the wooden, crooked chair by it and sang. Sparkles tickled the young boy's cheeks, as he played the same, familiar tune. So sad, yet so serene, almost in vain ...

''Nice tunes. All right if I join you?''

Manda stood by the doorway, a half-smile arosing. Simon nodded softly, as he let her in. The look that she had been wearing for weeks, since the first time he laid his eyes on her, had been a sudden change - when he first noticed her, she had been wearing an unusual, ethnic look that had seemed somewhat attractive on its own terms. Now, she had been rushing around the house - looking after the children; cooking the meals; putting the littluns to bed and cleaning up around the house, she had earned a look that was more similar to a motherly figure than a distorted symbol of beauty with her dark hair greasing, her eyes sinking into exhaustion and her baggy clothes flopping as she continuously ran up and down, up and down, trying to help the others at almost every minute.

''So, I take it you're not too big on socialising, then?'' Manda laughed, as she sank into the colourful bean bag next to him. She yawned lazily, as she continued, ''I can understand. They can be pretty boisterous at times. I mean, they _are_ real hard to deal with at times! Especially Jack ... ''

Simon gazed at her weakly, as he smiled palely. ''They're fine, they're not too bad. They haven't been bothering me as much as they've been bothering Piggy.''

''Piggy? Isn't that ... Carl? Why bother "Piggy" then?'' Two eyebrows raised high in disgust.

''Because, well ... '' Simon's voice was hushed. ''They think he isn't that appealing, with his oversized glasses, and fat, and ... ass-mar.'' His eyes darted around, hoping that there was no sign of his discussion fixation, and continued. ''They've been bothering him even more now ... now that he's earning the respect he didn't have before.''

''Well, he sure deserves it. He's a nice boy - and I wouldn't like to think that jack was bothering him. I've heard some of the things he says, and he can be incredibly cruel at times. Still, anyway ... have you seen Roger's new look?''

''New - new look? What do you mean?''

''I swear, I knew there was such things as "goths." But I never knew you could actually go "uber-goth!" '' She smiled softly. ''He was looking for you by the way.''

Simon ignored this fact. ''Goth? What's goth? What's a goth?'' Although he had been at the school, for at least a month, Simon still wasn't familiar with its unusual slang and was much more interested about finding out why Roger was in need of him. If Piggy had learned it as fast as a blink, couldn't he?

''Well, it started off as German tribe who wrecked down the Roman empire. In the eighties, it was groups of people who liked to listen to the Bauhaus and The Cure, and all that crap. Nowadays, it's just a bunch of teens who like to wear black and white make-up and listen to overly loud, depressing music. But can you believe Roger? He's booted the whole load of looks! Oh, God!''

Simon's eye twitched. He remembered their first meeting.

''Are you a goth, Manda?''

Manda glanced, and said crisply, ''Nope. I'd rather not be - I prefer to lead my own trends than follow!'' Just at that point, Piggy, drenched in long, golden chains and in a baggy vest and tracksuit trouser entered joyfully, and held his finger in acknowledgement as he passed. Thick confusion flooded Simon's face. What had happened to the poor boy? A brain transplant? ''Yo, m'dawgs.''

''Hey, mate,'' Manda nodded, as he flumped beside them. ''How's it hangin'?''

''A li'l on the downside, y'see,'' Piggy murmured, separating his legs far apart sinking. ''I was havin' small talk with MD, right, but then he an' his homies kinda dingied me. So I was dingied with Jack, right, and y'know ... '' Piggy stuck his tongue out and made a face, while mouthing in a rush, and Manda gasped. ''Oh, no!''

''Oh, aye!''

''You're pulling my leg! He couldn't of been that much of an a-hole!''

''Well, he shouldn't of been gratin' on them, deliberately, or else he would'ne of got pure rejected by the lot, and - ''

''_What on earth are you bloody talking about!_'' Simon had reached to his tether - he needed explination for this scrambled slang, no matter how long it took for him to understand! Breaking out of discussion, Manda and Piggy both stared at Simon.

And stared.

And stared.

''Well, Jack, he, umm ... ''

''These boys were having a laugh as they passed by, and - ''

''Jack kind of went and announced to them the size of Ralph's - Ralph's ... ummm ... ''

''_What?_''

''The size of his ... umm, conch!''

''For a joke!''

''Although they found it rather rude,'' Piggy said stiffly, reminding Simon of the times when he used to act more realistic.

Simon sighed happily for its sake.

''Then again, when wearing get-up like that, he's not bound to earn any friends.''

Shock flooded Simon like a crashing tidal wave ... _no_ ... what was happening to dear old Piggy? When on the island, Piggy was intelligent, and in control of himself, and determined, and now ... he was just like all the rest ... trying to conform with the favourable groups. He

tried to hold it on with all his might - he greatly did - but Simon fell flat on his face to floor and

fainted.

Manda and Piggy looked at each other. Then at the unconscious boy laying on the ground.

''Well, he needs an early bed ... ''

''I'm sure of it,'' Manda sighed, shaking her head. ''Hey, what do you reckon of Alicia? Do you like her then, too?''

''_Omigoodness!_ She is such a ... batty barmy psycho woman! How can she play with two boys like that, the psychotic little -''

''Thank God you agree with _moi!_ Yeah, she bugs the crap out me. Kind of like those annoyingly perfect characters who get flamed on ... ''

x

That night, the unconscious boy lay in the bed, quietly humming to himself. As the moon faded from white to blue he stirred silently, wondering how Jesus would have reacted to Piggy's transformation from an outsider to a conformist ... but why Piggy, out of all people? Wasn't Piggy proud of who he was at heart? Why couldn't it have been Percival? At least he would develope some type of attire, as he didn't appear to have as much personality.

The small boy groaned quietly, and rolled onto his left side. Hours later, and he lay curled up on a ball, snoring softly. A taller, stockier boy entered the room, with his thick, dark hair glazing sapphire by the moonlight, hanging in his eyes. As he tore his black clothing off casually, he grabbed on a long, greying shirt and coated himself inside the duvet as he cuddled up beside the smaller, bonier boy. The room was no longer silent, but just quiet - there was now a sense of sniffles, as the older boy sobbed beneath the sheets.

And as he placed his wet, rubbery lips against the younger one's cheek, he whispered, ''Simon ... why didn't you come when I asked for you?''

x

**A/N: **Yay! I finally posted! Glad to have got that out the way. rubs hands And please read my other LotF story. It sounds cocky, but I'm quite proud of it, so if you would like, check it out and tell me what you think. :) And for the whole Alicia thing ... I know what you think of her, and I can clearly understand why. And the fun of it is, it's not gonna stay like that forever ... (evilly grins at Alicia from afar)


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